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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

How Important is it to be nice to everyone?

A very wise man once said remember the secretary of today is the boss of tomorrow.

No truer words were ever spoken. In fact, most of the Hollywood elite are not Harvard educated business men and women, most of them have industry related education and then went in to a mail room at some agency or studio to work their way to the top.

The late Dawn Steele, former head of Paramount who made Tom Cruise super star, was a self made woman and the first female to head a studio (she has a great Auto Biography that is a worthwhile read).

Most of the big wigs I have met in the industry have been self-made, which means that they had to work up through the ranks! And I will tell you the BIGGEST actors and BEST execs are the ones who have ZERO superiority complexes!

One time I was at a restaurant in Los Angeles with my husband, there was a very kind man and another gentleman sitting just next to us. They were simply trying to enjoy their meal. throughout dinner a variety of people kept stopping at their table and saying hi and chatting at them, finally the topper was a couple who stopped with their very large dog who sniffed around at us and the gentlemen, it was obnoxious. The one gentleman apologized to us. I turned to him and said in earnest, don't apologize to us - you guys are the one's who can't enjoy your dinner! Long story short, I rifted with the gentleman a bit, made fun of a film that was opening down the street only to find that he was the PRESIDENT of that film company, so rather than apologizing I played into my flub and made a good laugh of it. He then took my name and address and for 5 years sent my daughter EVERY single video release from that company that came out. She wrote thank you notes every time a new video would arrive.

So I would say that it is VERY important to be courteous to everyone you encounter - but above that be GENUINE in your behavior as veils are transparent - even a veil of feigned diplomacy or care.